The two-member team that was formed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has submitted its report in the suicide case of a class 4 student who had jumped to death from the fourth floor of a private school.
The committee found several points that assist further in the investigation pertaining to the case, and has said that the nine-year-old victim had asked her class teacher five times for help in 45 minutes leading up to her death.
A report by Hindustan Times said that the student had approached the teacher multiple times regarding some remarks that her classmates wrote on a digital slate. Reports said that according to the CCTV footage, the teacher did not take any action after being approached by the student but instead, shouted in the class - thus leaving the student “puzzled”, “embarrassed" and “extremely disappointed.”
The committee further found out that despite several hints of distress, the student was never referred to the school counsellor, which is mandatory under the anti-bullying protocols and Pocso-linked reporting obligations of CBSE.
Following the child's tragic death, the committee issued a show-cause notice to the school and reported that the “spot of fall was washed” before forensic examination could take place.
The two-member committee has further identified multiple failures at the school, including lapses in CCTV surveillance, inadequate security measures, protocol violations as well as a lack of response to repeated complaints raised by the student and her parents.
In its findings, CBSE stated that the committee observed “gross violations” of Affiliation Bye-Laws and “severe lapses” in areas related to child safety, bullying prevention, and overall school infrastructure. The report also noted that the institution had failed to uphold a “healthy atmosphere.”
The review further highlighted that students were not mandated to wear ID cards, and pointed out the absence of a functional safety and security committee, along with insufficient CCTV oversight.
Additionally, the committee flagged non-compliance with key national guidelines issued by bodies such as the Supreme Court, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), and the National Building Code. The violations included unsafe building conditions, missing protective safety nets on upper floors, lack of floor attendants, and failure to follow child-protection norms.
During a visit to the student's home, the inquiry panel also learned that complaints of bullying dating back nearly a year and a half had gone unaddressed by the school.
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